


(Un)Broken

by Phantomwriter1231



Category: Florence + the Machine
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 02:39:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7827142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantomwriter1231/pseuds/Phantomwriter1231
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Un)Broken tells the story of Florence Welch, a twenty-year-old, art major. Her parent's marriage is in its downfall, her boyfriend dumped her, and she can't say she's happy about it. About Stuart dumping her? Yeah, sure. she isn't even sure she was in love with him, anyways. But about her parents' marriage falling apart; now that is a different story. <br/>She's tired of life as it is, and to cope with it, she plays tennis. That's how she meets Isabella Summers, who, in the midst of all her desert seems like an oasis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I

It took her three months to finish that bloody art assignment. Now, all that she wanted was a racket and some tennis balls. She needed to burn off the crazy, or, she was sure, she was going to explode.

Florence got home earlier than the usual that afternoon. Rock music blasted from her headphones as she turned the key slowly, secretly wishing for the house to be empty. She was in no mood to hear her parents arguing nor Grace yelling at JJ. That day could have been easily described as the best and the worst day of her life.

Kicking off her shoes, she dropped her bookbag in the corner with a quick gesture. The house was quiet, but the blinds were open; which gave her the impression that her mother was , in fact, already home."Grace, is that you?" Evelyn's voice filled the silent hallway. Florence grimaced and walked to the kitchen. "No,mum, it's just me." Evelyn seemed surprised. "Florence, honey, what are you doing here? I thought you were staying with that little friend of yours. What's his name again?" "Stuart, mum. His name is Stuart." she sighted annoyed. "No, I wanna hit the courts this afternoon. I need to burn off some steam. And please mamma, do me a favour?" " What is it, sweetheart?" "Never mention Stuart to me again, please." That said, she ran upstairs before she had said too much and the interrogatory started to take place.

In the blink of an eye, she changed into more comfortable clothes and picked her long, reddish brown hair into a ponytail. With a swift movement she opened her closet and pulled out a very worn out tennis bag before slidding the door shut again.

"We're home!" she heard Grace yell as she jogged downstairs and into the kitchen. "Mum, I'm going to the courts." She said, grabbing an apple then kissing Evelyn's cheek. "Bye guys" She's ruffled JJ's hair on her way out. "I'll be back before supper!" she yelled, grabbing her keys. "You better!" Evelyn yelled back but the redhead didn't really heard her as she was already turning around the corner.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On these firsts few chapters we start to discover a little about the two main character's world. We already know a bit about Florence, but what about Isa?

Florence stepped on the cement determinedly; racket in hand. She tossed the ball in the air then hit it as hard as she could.The ball hit the wall in front of her then backfired. She hit it once more; feeling the sudden rush of anger mixed with adrenaline. "Hey, kid; take it easy on that ball, it's not like it's your ex." A soft voice brought her back to earth. She caught the ball midair and then turned to look at whomever was talking.

She turned to look at a smaller girl, maybe a few years older than her. Bleached, blond hair dangled across her shoulder, cascading down her back. "The name's Isabella, yours?" "Florence" She said, extending out her right hand. Isabella took it and gave it a slight shake; emerald green eyes on blue-grayish. "Nice to meet y' . Now, if you don't mind me asking, why are you taking it out on the ball?" "Bad day." Was all that came out of Florence's lips."If you want to take it off on something, might as well be on a real opponent, not a wall." "Well, I don't really have an opponent right now. Unless you want to join me, off course." "Oh, please. My pleasure." She chuckled. "C' mon" Florence said, a smile on her face as she opened up the gate. She held it , just long enough for Isabella to step in; then closed it.

Both girls stepped firmly behind their respective baselines, each gripping their racket with just the right amount of force. Florence served first. The ball flew right past her opponent, scoring an ace. "15-0!" Yelled the redhead. The blond sighted and then went back to her initial position. Florence stifled a laugh and bounced another ball twice before tossing it back into the air. The blond ran and volleyed the ball back at Florence, who received it with a perfect backhand.

The game was over. Florence had won by a point to Isabella. "Good God, you're better than I thought." She said, trying to regain her breath. "Nah. Just beginner's luck." Florence answered while looking down at her phone. "It's late. I should probably go. I do not want to piss off my mum; trust me, a furious Evelyn Welch is scary. Bye, Isabella, it was nice meeting you. Thanks for the game." And Florence walked away; putting on her headphones and swinging her tennis bag over her shoulder.

"I'm home!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "Okay, sweetheart. Dinner's almost ready!" Evelyn yelled from the kitchen before going back to her task

By the time Florence came out of the bathroom and walked downstairs, JJ and Grace were sitting on the sofa watching T.V and her father had already gotten home from work. "Hi, dad." she walked up to him and hugged him. "Hey, munchkin. How was school?" "Fine, I guess, I got a really good mark on that assignment that I was working on." "It's nice to hear." Nick stoked her forehead, softly pulling away some pieces of her too long fringe, then held her gaze for a little while. 

Later that night, Florence was lying on her bed reading a book, music blasting out of her vintage record player; trying to drown out as much as she could the yelling emanating from the kitchen. Her door flew open and in came Grace and JJ. Both got into her bed and snuggled closer to the oldest sister. Florence noticed something cold hit the crook of her neck and wet her shirt. She reached over and dropped the book in the night table, then looked at her right to find the youngest sibling crying. She didn't said anything , but stroked his hair softly until his breath started to slow down and she noticed both had fell asleep.


	3. III

It was a Friday night and Florence was sitting in the living reading a book while her younger siblings watched some random film on T.V. Hopefully that night there would be no fight. Her dad was sitting at the table, finishing some bills, and her mother was in the kitchen.

All of a sudden her phone beeped with a text. She opened it. It read:

**-Bobby Analogue @ Flo:**

**Party @ my flat. C U there?**

She tapped the reply bar:

**-Flo @ Bobby Analogue:**

**Count on me. B there in 15**

Florence walked upstairs and changed into a white blouse and ripped jeans, completing her look with a pair of lace-up boots and letting down her hair. She put the minimum amount of makeup possible on, then grabbed her phone and her keys  and walked downstairs. "Mum, I'm going to Rob's. Don't wait for me, okay?" "Fine, honey, be careful, please." "Don't worry, mum, I'm twenty. Pretty sure I can take care of myself." 

She took the bus, and in less than five minutes,she was standing at Rob's doorstep. The music was so loud that she could hear it pounding through every crack, hence she chose to text Rob rather than knocking on the door.

 

**\- Flo @ Bobby Analogue:**

**Open up, I'm Outside**

 

Within seconds, the door was opened by a thin, tall guy; black hair covering hi eyes. "Hey there, princess!" He said, pulling Florence into a tight hug. "How's it going,dude?" She said, stepping into the house . "Wow, you really outdid yourself tonight, Robby Boy!" "Indeed, he did!" A female voice interrupted their conversation. "Sup, Sofie?" "Flo, I can't believe you made it." Sophie gave her a beer and dragged her to the improvised dance floor, which turned out to be Rob's living room. 

A good thirty minutes of dancing and two beers in, Florence dragged Sophie to the nearest free seat. "Wait here, I gotta hit the bathroom." She nodded, struggling to regain her breath, and watched her disappear in the crowd. "Whew, good thing she had to pee, she hasn't let me approach you all night long." "Well, you know Sophie, she can be a little possessive sometimes." She turned to look at Rob. "Come, I want you to meet someone." He took her hand and dragged her to the kitchen. "Hey, Isa! I got someone I want you to meet." " 'K, just a minute."  A feminine voice spoke behind a black hoodie. When she turned around, Florence couldn't believe her eyes. "You?!" She heard her say, a tad surprised. "Isabella, right?" "Wait, you two know each other?" Rob's eyes drifted from Florence to Isa and vice-versa. "Yeah, I guess so. We met on the tennis courts in the park. I challenged her to a tennis match." "And how did that turned out?" "I won her by a point," Florence answered. "How long ago was this again?" "I don't know, Rob." Florence again. "Two weeks?" 

Once the initial shock had passed, all three of them were chatting amiably until Rob mentioned Florence could sing. "Really?" Florence blushed. "Are you good?" "Good? She's great!" Rob blurted out and Florence blushed three shades darker. "Why don't you show me what you got?" Isabella asked. "Sure. I mean, Rob, can you help me?" "Sure, Princess. Wait here, I'm going to set up." Florence nodded as she watched him walk away. "So, Flo.... what do you do apart from singing and playing tennis like a pro?" Isabella's voice brought her back to earth. "I... uh... I'm an art major." She found herself rather nervous, playing with her fingers and tugging at her clothes. "How about you, Isabella?" "I own a small studio in Crystal Palace. I dropped out of med school just so that I could make music. Oh, and please, call me Isa; or at the very least Bella." "Okay, Flo, we're ready!" Rob interrupted their chat and practically dragged Florence to an improvised stage in what used to be the dance floor. Isabella followed them, trying to keep up with them as much as she could. 

The music started before Isa could reach the front of the room. She could make out a blues guitar amongst the talking crowd, then a voice. It was the voice of an angel. A beautiful, potent, contralto range almost spellbinding. Isa almost had to force herself to breath when she caught sign of Florence; the dim lights mixing with the bright lights and reflecting on her, not quite red yet not quite brown, hair. It was some sort of revelation. Something inside her told her that she needed to do something with Flo and stop waisting her precious time on pretencious rappers. 

When the song was over, Florence walked up to Isa, breathing heavily. "And?" She asked trying to regain her breath. "How was it?" Isa's eyes met hers for a couple of seconds, then she heard: "Holy crap! You can fucking sing!" And she bursted into laughter when Rob remarked "I told you so." Isa shot him a deadly look. She was small, but she sure was scary as hell. For someone as tiny as Isa, she was extremely feisty.


	4. IV

Florence woke up to a sharp headache. Her neck was sore and she felt disoriented. Then she remembered: the party, Sophie, Rob, meeting Isa for the second time. She half-smiled, half-winced in pain at the huge coincidence. "Hiya, princess" Rob's voice made her look up at him. His hair looked wet as if he had splashed water on it before noticing she was awake. "Glad you're awake. How're you feeling?" "Like I was hit by a truck." She grunted, squinting at the scarce sunlight that penetrated the room. "Here, drink this." Isabella came in the room then, holding a mug of tea in one hand and a pair of vintage sunglasses in the other. "Thanks" Florence smiled and Isa reciprocated. "No problem, babe. Now, finish your tea and get ready. I'll take you home. And here, " Isa gave her the pair of black, vintage sunglasses, "you're going to need this." Florence thanked her and asked out of nowhere, in an act of sudden realization, "I didn't do anything stupid last night, did I ?" Both Isa and Rob laughed as they shook their heads and Flo relaxed. Once Flo had finished her tea, Isabella picked up her keys and her mobile from the counter and opened the door to allow Florence, who put no resistance, out the door and into her car.

On her way home, Isa noticed the magnitude of Flo's hangover; so she did a quick maneuver and turned the car around. "Where are you going?" Florence protested, "This isn't the way!" Isa kept her eyes on the road, "I know this isn't the way, Flo. We're going back to my flat. I can't bring myself to drop you off home in that state. If your folks see you get home like this, they're gonna disown you." Florence chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. Although more than disowning me they're gonna kill me." 

Isa turned the key and pushed the door open. She stepped in, dragging Florence in with her. "Welcome to the 'shloft,' Flo. Make yourself at home." Florence looked around the apartment. A huge knot of wires ran around it like a river.There were three keyboards placed strategically around the apartment, next to a computer and what, she guessed, was a mixer. 

The smaller girl kicked her black stilettos off and climbed the ladder leading to the bedroom. Florence sat on the couch, covering her eyes with the back of her hand; avoiding the small amount of light that originated from the bedroom. "Hey, Isa, how come you're not hungover? You drank just as much as I did, if not more." "Yeah, babe" Isa poked her head out from behind the bedroom door, " But I tolerate a lot more than you do." "That's true. You've got a point." Florence agreed. "So," Isa climbed down the ladder, "what do you wanna do?" The redhead shrugged as she saw Isa walk towards one of her keyboards, turning it on as she sat down on the rolling chair. Bella started playing a chord progression that the lanky, pale redhead couldn't recognize as she heard her hum. She noticed her newfound friend had picked up the notepad and the pen that she usually kept next to her home phone and was very focused on whatever was she was writing. 

The blond rolled her chair to the opposite end of the room, to the other keyboard, and started playing the same chord progression but with a different instrument this time. Florence mostly hummed and tapped on the notepad. Occasionally she would tap on the armrest, but she mostly kept to herself. "You didn't tell me you played the piano." She blurted out, startling Isa. "Oh, yes I did, honey. You just don't remember." Bella thought for a minute, then rectified herself. "Actually, you're right. I didn't, Rob did. But still.." She pointed at the notepad sitting on Florence's lap, waiting to be noticed. "You're done with that?" "Yeah, you wanna read it?" "May I?" "Off course. " Florence stood up, making Isa look way smaller than she usually did sitting on the damned rolling chair, and handed her the notepad. Isa read through it with mild difficulty, due to the redhead's spidery cursive that sprawled through the page. Then, she looked up to find Florence's sharp, green eyes piercing her like daggers. "Are you going to stop amazing me some day, Flo?" She asked, and Florence's expectant gaze turned into flushed cheeks and the most beautiful smile Bella had ever seen.

"Hey, I got an idea! Why don't you sing over this track I just made while you were writing ?" Florence's surprise look told Isa that she wasn't expecting the offer. "What, now?" She added once she was able to speak. "Yeah, why not?" Isa pushed on. "Here, open up that closet and you'll see a mic right in the very front." Florence did as told and brought out the mic. "Why do you keep a mic if you mostly do mixes?" She asked. "Because sometimes I work with rappers and they like to record their voices while improvisating." "Do you ever record yourself? Singing, I mean." Florence said, setting the mic next to her and avoiding Bella's eyes in the process. "Rarely" Isabella deviated the subject. "How's that hangover treating y'?" Florence shrugged. "Better than when I woke up, I guess" "Good, now let's get to business."

Isabella pressed record and the music started. Florence belted out the words, eyes closed, plainly absorbed in the music. Her troubled expression changed into pure serenity, and she looked angelic, ethereal almost. Isa felt the shortage of air in her lungs and so she knew she had to breathe, but it was practically impossible for her to keep her eyes off of the  redhead. 

"Isa!" Florence's voice cut through the thick veil of her thoughts; a hint of annoyance in her tone. "I'm sorry, what?" She had no clue when she had zoned out, but it must've been a while since Florence's eyes were cutting through her expectantly once again. "I asked how was it?" "Perfect" She saw a smile tugging at the corners of Florence's lips and she smiled at her. "Do you have any more mixes?"She heard her ask timidly, appearing like a child, almost, to Isabella. 

According to what Rob had told her the night before, Florence was not your typical, everyday girl. It wasn't just that she was an amazing singer and even better tennis player, but also the fact that Flo was extremely sensitive. According to Rob's words, Flo was like a five-year-old child in the body of a twenty-year-old woman. She was confirming that now, as she saw the lanky redhead dance around to Madonna's 'Vogue' and singing at the top of her lungs.

Isa couldn't resist the temptation and pulled out her phone to tape her, but before she could get herself to do so, Florence tackled her and took the device away from her. "Hey!" Isa protested. "No recording, Summers." "Well, then what am I supposed to do while you dance around like some crazy person?" Bella questioned jokingly, which got her looks from Florence. "Well, you could shut up and come dance with me" Flo tugged at Bella's minuscule hand and dragged her to the center of the living room as 'Material Girl' started playing.

 


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Florence and her nightmares worry more people than just Isa.

Florence woke up screaming, gasping for air. Cold sweat ran down her entire body, mixing with her own tears. Isabella ran,then, in the room; turning on the light on her way in. She sat next to the trembling girl and pulled her towards herself. Florence sobbed uncontrollably in her arms, wetting Bella's shirt with her tears in the process. 

"It's alright, Flo. I'm here." Isabella spoke softly; her maternal instinct kicking in. Florence wasn't supposed to stay at Isa's that night, but she fell asleep on the couch while watching a movie and Rob carried her upstairs. He had warned Isa about this, but even though she didn't expect it to be this intense.

Flo had managed to calm down under Isa's protective touch. "It's okay. You're okay. I got you, baby girl. It's alright. " Bella's voice was now practically an inaudible whisper as Florence sobs turned into whimpers and she drifted back asleep. Isabella meant to get up and switch off the lights, but before she could do so Florence's fingers laced around her hand. "Don't go?" she pleaded, her voice breaking, barely above a whisper. " I'm not leaving,babe, I'm only switching off the lights," Isabella reassured her and she stretched to turn off the lamp before slipping under the blanket next to the lanky redhead. 

Over the past few months, Florence had spent more time in Isa's flat than at her own place. When she wasn't in school she was at Isa's; making music. Rob had offered to play guitar for them and had introduced them to Chris, an old school mate that played drums. Chris was not as tall as Rob, (and let's face it nobody was) but he was almost as tall as Florence. His hair was long, for a guy, and he had simply mentioned as Mairead.

They met once or twice a week to play music, which quickly turned into a habit after a short while. The girls did just about anything together and their bond had become stronger with the passing of time.

Despite this fact, Florence had never slept over at Isa's. She had stayed overnight after crazy house parties, but on those occasions, they barely slept. They were always too drunk to sleep and had resorted to writing; something Isa's neighbors didn't really appreciate. Isa had never had to deal with a situation like this before, and so she wasn't fully prepared when the time to comfort her best friend came.

Florence woke up to a thin, small arm snuggling her. She turned around slightly, to look at Bella next to her, sleeping like a baby. She, then, looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. Nine thirty. She wondered how long had she kept her up, last night, with her nightmares. She owed the girl a huge apology, it was more than clear to her that she acted like a seven-year-old most of the time and it could get annoying; ask Stuart if not, her brain remarked her...

She felt a warm hand carefully removing her too long fringe off of her eyes, bringing her back to Earth. Her eyes bolted to look at Isabella's icy blue ones looking at her. "How many times did I wake you up last night?" She asked, her green eyes fixed on Isa's. "None, really," Isabella answered, running her hand through Flo's red hair. "You did wake up once, but I was awake downstairs, reading and sending some e-mails." "I'm sorry" Isa frowned. "For what?" "I know I act like a child most of the time," She sighed, "I also know that it's annoying." "What do you mean? It's not annoying, it's adorable." "Yeah, tell that to Stuart," Florence mumbled. "Who's Stuart?" The redhead's eyes shot up to meet Isa's. "My ex. Don't mind him." "Well, Miss Welch, I must say your ex-boyfriend was an asshole." Florence laughed, "Okay, that I give you; he WAS an asshole." They laughed for a while, then Florence asked , "Why am I here?" "Because you fell asleep on the couch. Don't worry, I texted Grace to tell your mum." "You don't know Grace, how di you texted her?" "I used your phone and texted her as if I was you." Florence looked surprised all of a sudden. "You brought me here?" "No, silly. Rob did." Isa tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. "You're light, babe, but you triple me in size." Florence let out a laugh, "True."

Their reverie was interrupted by the doorbell. Isabella, still in her jammers, went to open it. Chris, Rob, and a girl didn't recognize stood behind it. Isa squinted at the amount of light that hit her in the face as she gestured them to come in. Once everybody was in she apologized for the way she looked. The guys dismissed it and Chris presented the girl, a short, slender thing (although not as short as Isa) , behind a mass of black hair, as Mairead, his girlfriend. Then Rob asked, "Where's Flo?" "She's upstairs," Isa confirmed. "Wait," Chris looked confused. "Flo slept here, with you?" Isa nodded as if it was no big deal. "Are you two..?" "What!? No!!" Isa yelled and threw him the first thing she found; the pen Florence had used the previous night to write some address in her phone book. Chris managed to somehow dodge it. "Well, damn, I'm sorry!!" He apologized while taking refuge behind Mairead's thin frame. "Did she had any nightmares last night?" Rob asked worriedly. Isa nodded. "She woke up screaming, covered in sweat and tears. Luckily I was still awake down here and don't think I have ever climbed that ladder faster. It took me an hour to calm her down."

Before she could say anything else, Florence melodious voice penetrated the walls as she sang En Vogue's "Don't Let Go." Mairead asked who was singing and Chris explained that it was Florence before Isa could open her mouth. 

"Bella!" Flo's voice was heard from upstairs. "Be there in a sec, Flo!" Isa yelled back. She then looked back at Rob, "You guys can start setting up if you like. I'm going to check on Flo and I'll be back." Rob and Chris nodded as she turned her back on them and climbed the ladder to the bedroom.

"What's up, cutie? I'm here." "Who was it?" she asked, still wrapped in blankets, red hair sprawled all over the pillow. "Just the boys. Chris brought his girlfriend, Mairead." "Have you met her, is she nice?" "I didn't talk to her that much because then you called me and I came running back up, but she seems like a nice girl. What'd you needed me for, anyway?" "Do you have something I can borrow to wear before I go and face the world?" Isa's brow furrowed as she opened and looked around her closet. Five minutes later, Isa turned back to Flo, holding a pair of oversized sweatpants and an old Arctic Monkeys hoodie. "Here, Flo, try these on." Florence was surprised when Isa's clothes fit her perfectly. "Is it just me, Iz, or you buy clothes that are way to big for you?" she questioned. Isa frowned at the redhead's comment. "What do you mean that I buy clothes that are way too big for me?" She tried to look as insulted as she possibly could, but it didn't last long, as cracked into fits of laughter.

Florence chuckled as she combed her reddish-brown hair with her fingers, struggling to keep her overgrown fringe out of her face. She was already covered in bruises from bumping into walls and furniture, she didn't need, nor wanted, anymore. "Y'know, Iz?" She pointed out, "I think that onesie is not gonna cut it. You should probably change." Isa agreed with her and started to look for something to wear. "Okay, I'll leave you be." And Floplanted a quick kiss on Isa's cheek before storming out of the room.

Bella just stood there, petrified, for a couple of minutes. Then she had to force herself to continue with her task, but it was practically impossible for her to think clearly. Her head was spinning and her palms were sweaty at the thought of having to meet the redhead downstairs. She couldn't bring herself together even when she tried to be rational about it. Once she had managed to calm herself a notch, she stood in front of the mirror and plaited her long, bleached blond hair into a fishtail. She didn't bother reapplying her trademark black eyeliner as she knew that, other than rehearsing with Flo and the boys, she wasn't going to do much that day.

She descended the ladder, careful not to break an ankle and make a fool of herself. Florence was already warming up, Rob was tuning his guitar, and Chris talked cheerfully with Mairead as he secured the last cymbal in place. Isa took her place, in the rolling chair, in front of her keyboard. She turned it on and played a few arpeggios to make sure it was running smoothly. "Alright, " she said as Rob turned the last tuning peg and Chris took his place on the drum throne. "are we ready?" Chris and Rob gave her a nod, but Florence was still immersed in her reverie of humming. "Alright, Flo. Whenever you're ready, sweetheart. " Isa spoke softly as if she were speaking to a small child, almost. Florence turned around, took a deep breath, and nodded; her eyes locked on Isa's. 

The music started. Florence grabbed the mic and belted out the first notes. From her side of the room, Isabella always appeared to her a little machine. Always concentrating, her eyes were locked on her keyboard, sweat running down her brow, immersed in the music. Today she looked stunning; no dark eyeliner framed her blue-grayish eyes, her hair was plaited into a braid, rather than dangling loosely down her back like usual, and she was wearing skinny jeans and a band shirt. Florence liked this Isa a lot better. When she didn't pretend to be someone else and dared to be herself, she was the most beautiful person in this world. Not that she wasn't beautiful when she let down her hair and wore stilettos, Flo loved that version of Isa, but she was even more beautiful when she allowed her imperfections to come afloat.

"Florence!" oh-oh. That was Isa's annoyed voice. "Flo, hun. Are you feeling alright?" The redhead guessed she had zoned out at some point because Isa was clearly speaking to her and she was annoyed at not receiving any response. "Yeah, I'm fine. Did you said something?" "Never mind that now and come sit down, you're paler than a ghost." Florence frowned at Bella's maternal tone. "Okay, what's going on? Now you're just sounding like my mother." She sighted. "This isn't about last night, is it?" Isabella was the one who sighted now, "No, it's about you wanting to act like some sort of Robot, Florence. You gotta learn to breathe, beautiful. You're flesh and blood, you deserve to be taken care of, too. " Flo chuckled. "Says the one that acts like a machine, wanting to control the world. Let your own words command you, Iz." "Hey, the Robot and the Machine, over there!" Rob's voice interrupted them before Florence could peptalk Isa, "Can we go back to rehearsal, if we can call it that?"


	6. VI

Bella pulled the bag out of the house and dumped it into the trashcan outside. It was mid-October now, the leaves had started to fall and the nights were slightly colder. "Excuse me" A guy, average height, dark hair that covered his eyes, carrying what looked like a telephone box wrapped in a blanket, spoke. "Would you be so kind to tell me where the closest bus departs from?" Isabella approached just a couple of steps. "The closest terminal is about a block or two away from here, but it's late and I don't think anything will depart till tomorrow." The guy cursed under his breath, "What the hell Am I supposed to do now?" "Where are y' headed?" "Ipswich" Isabella winced. "Oh, man. I'd take you there myself if my car weren't in the shop. Would you like to come in? It's freezing out here." The guy who introduced himself as Tom accepted her offer and followed her inside. "Make yourself at home, Tom. You can put that over there, next to the couch. Would you like some tea?" "Please, don't feel obliged, I don't wanna bother." "It's no bother at all," Isa replied as her phone began to ring. She ignored it and looked back at Tom. "What blend do you prefer?" "Earl Grey would be fine, thanks." She shifted into the kitchen to make tea and the guy sat on the old sofa, taking in the atmosphere for the first time.

A keyboard sat against one of the walls, next to a mixer and a computer, a guitar hung on the wall and a drum-kit stood unassembled on the corner of the room. The walls were lined with shelves and shelves of records and books; stacked by artist and alphabetical order. Notebooks and papers were stacked on the floor, but not in a disorderly manner. Drawings and polaroids were taped or pinned on a cork board by the window, which gave it the appearance of a college dorm; only bigger.

Isabella came in then, holding two mugs of tea in her hands. She passed him one and then sat in her rolling chair, as far from her recording equipment as it was humanly possible. Tom took a sip of his tea, his eyes still wandering around the apartment. "What is that?" Isa couldn't hold in her curiosity any longer. "Just my harp." He answered naturally. "I can see that you're also a musician. " He pointed at the instruments sprawled around the room. "I wouldn't call myself a musician, those are there because of my band mates if we could call it that. " "Oh, you're in a band?" "Well," she answered, "We're not really a band 'band'. We just gather around once or twice a week and make music." "Who sings, then? You?" "Pff... " Isa sat her mug of tea down on the floor, next to her. "I wish I could sing well enough, then I wouldn't really be relying on rappers to do my mixes. No, my friend, Florence, does. She's amazing, you've got to hear her." Tom took another sip of his Earl Grey, which was now half empty. "Do you mind playing something for me?" Bella asked and Tom place his mug down as he pulled off the covers. 

When he started playing, Isa's jaw dropped. She picked up her cellphone and scrolled down until she found Florence's name. Once she had tapped on it, she texted:

Isa : 911, come 2 my flat asap.

She tapped on the reply and added:

Isa: Tell the boys

Florence's reply was almost immediate.

Flo: 'k, b there in 5

Before long, the doorbell rang ,followed by three hectic knocks. She knew who it was before she'd even open the door. Tom stopped playing when he saw her get up from her chair to go and open it. Then, a tall, lanky redhead with the force of a hurricane revealed herself. She hugged Bella, then proceeded to take off her coat. Two other guys, tall as well, stepped in behind her. "So, what's the 911?" One of them asked. Isa turned to Tom and asked him to continue playing. "That's the 911." 

Florence tugged at Isa's hand and dragged her upstairs, locking the door behind them. She looked at Isabella. "Where did he come from?" Bella explained how she had met Tom and his current situation to her lanky,redheaded friend as she picked up her rebellious reddish-brown hair into a ponytail. "Is he from Ipswich? What's he doing all the way here?" "I don't know, I never asked him." Isa shrugged, "Can we go back now? This is kind of awkward." Florence giggled and agreed, following her down the ladder. 

The boys were sitting on the couch, with exception of Rob, who was sprawled all over the rug like a starfish, talking about trivial stuff. All that the girls were able to understand from said conversation was that Rob was retelling the story of how they had met. Chris noticed them first; his long hair tied in a ponytail. "Hey, Flo! Have you met Tom?" he asked, yelling. Florence winced, covering her ears, "Geez, Hayden! I'm less than ten feet away, you don't have to yell;" she turned to look at Tom, "but you're right. I haven't introduced myself properly. My name is Florence Welch; is nice to meet you, Tom." "The pleasure is all mine, Florence. Tom Monger." They shook hands for a split second and then went back to their ongoing prattle, which went on for a couple of minutes until Rob suggested they'd play something together. Nobody opposed the idea and started to set up.

Florence, like usual, got lost in her vocal reverie. Isabella sometimes wondered where did she went when she sang. Sadly, that was no place for her to discover, not anytime soon, anyway. She pondered whether Florence thought the same of her when she played the piano or simply mixed beats, and a shiver ran through her spine.

As Cris secured the crash cymbal in place and Rob plugged in his red Gibsun, Bella took her place behind the keyboard and brought back FLo from her dream-like state. They locked eyes, then started playing. Tom joined in with his harp after a couple of bars, and he was surprise to discover how well they sounded together despite not having any rehearsal. He didn't believe that there had been a prevoius moment in his lifetime where he had sounded better than tonight. He, also, couldn't put the familiar feeling into words.

When Florence opened her mouth to sing, Tom knew instantly that he wanted to play music with then; but again, her had people waiting for him in Ipswich, and he couldn't just tell his parents that even so he had changed his mind and he was no longer moving back in with them. He had nothing grounding him on Camberwell, let alone Crystal Palace. He had no job, no orchestra, and definitely no school. Tom was well aware that Ipswich was only two hours away in some sort of motorized vehicle, but it was still a long trip if you were carrying a harp along with you. 

"So, Tom." Rob interrupted the conversation between Tom and the girls to ask, "What brings you to Crystal Palace all the way from Ipswich?" "Work" he answered. "I was offered and audition to play with an orchestra here in Camberwell; but it turns out that I didn't made it. Not good enough for them." "Why not stay and make the most out of this situation? You can apply to Camberwell College of the Arts; Flo and I go there it's a great school, and they have an amazing music program. Roght Flo?" He pushed his hair back, "Huh, oh yeah. One of the best in the country." Isa giggled in the background, but then became serious when Chris nudged her. "Look, Tom." Rob again; his hair falling back on his face, "You don't have to answer now. Think about it and then call either one of us," He sighed and then added with a grin, "Chris and I could use some help at the bar." He pat Tom's shoulder and went back to practicing a random riff.


End file.
